in 1134 Hongkong
THE CHINESE TARIFF.
(FROM FELIX FARLEY'S BRISTOL JOURNAL, OCTOBER 28, 1843.)
0.0. NOV,
1846
TO THE EDITOR OF THE BRISTOL JOURNAL. Sir, The vast importance of the Chinese Tariff requires that it should be reduced to English weights, measures, and monies, for the use of British merchants, and not having yet observed that this has beca done, I beg to trouble yon with such s table, toge- ther with a few observations upon the standard to be observed.
The definition and determination of the Chinese tael is ex- preased in several different ways. 1st. It has been generally in England taken to be one third of the pound sterling, or Gs. 8d., or 80 pence, making the mace its 10th, S., and the caudareen its 100th part, 8-10ths of a penny. This simple relation to our own money would be a great advantage to English merchants if it were fully established, but some, as Beawes, make the candareen Ed., reducing the tael to 62. 3d.
2ndly. It is now, however, for the most part compared with the Spanish dollar. Thus the latest and perhaps the highest sathority, that of Mr. Pope, in the Yearly Journal of Trade for 1843, states 72 taels to be equivalent to 100 dollars. The Spanish dollar is commonly estimated at 4s. Gd., but her Majesty's proclu- mation (Yearly Journal of Trada, 1840, p. 391), issued for the West Indies, makes it equivalent to 48. 2d. The tael, therefore, will be 6s. 3d, if we take the former, and 58. 94d. if the latter, for our guide.
3rdly. It was originally compared with the Chinese silver coin called mace, and their copper coin called cash, but the mase has been long disused; 1000 cash were once equivalent to one fuel, but the depreciation of these coins by deterioration of the metal and reduction of their weight, so amply illustrated in the highly interesting and most authentic work of Mr. Davis, has now rendered the tael equal to a much greater number of cash. By Sir Henry Pottinger's Hong Kong proclamation of the 29th of March, 1842, 1200 of them are declared equal to one dollar. In weight I have found them vary from about 85 graina troy to twice as much. Du Halde says that the French sou is equivalent to the 100th part of the tael, that is to the caudareen, and also that it is equal to 6 cash, instead of 10.
4thly. The Chinese tael is a weight, and has its value expressed by European weights, either avoirdupois or troy, and this is the truest mode of determining its equivalent in fine silver, seeing that the references to English money do not agree, that dollars differ materially in value, and that the Chinese cash are still more different from each other in their weight and quality. Measra. Gordon and Crawfurd, in their admirable treatise upon Chinese commerce, give a table stating the tacl is equal to 1 1-3 ounce avoirdupois, or 579.84 grains troy. These, unfortunately, do not agree neither, for 1 1-3 oz. avoirdupois contains 437.5 and 145.8 1-3 grs., or 583.3 1-3 grs, troy, and not 579.84. Again, Beawez in his "Lex Mercatoria," states that the tael was 1 oz. 2 dr., of course troy weight, which in 480 and 120, or 600 grains. The editor of "Mortimer's Commercial Dictionary," in his “Universal Commerce," p. 64, says 100 taels should weigh 120 oz. 10 dwts. troy, or 57840 grs., or the single tael 5734, which is less than any of the above. He says, also, that 100 Spanish dollars should weigh 68 13 dwts.; that is, 42,552 grs., of which we take the 72nd part, according to Mr. Pope, the tael comes out 591 grs. Now, 16 taels make a catty, and 100 catties a pecul; all autho- rities, I believe, concur in making the pecul 133 1-3 ib. avoirdu- pois, or the catty I 1-3 B., for which reason I prefer taking the tael as 1 1-3 oz., or 183 1-3 grs. The English crown piece, or N. is so nearly an avoirdupois ounce that if we could make this the standard the tael would come out as at first 5a, and 20d., or 6s. 8d., or 80d.; but in China all silver coin is taken as bullion, and the duties of course will be paid in fullion. The real value of the tael must, therefore, be sought in the market price of stan- dard silver. This, at the present time, I find to bo da. 1110. per ounce troy, which is almost exactly 48. 6d, the ouuoo avoirdupois, or 6s. the tacl; and I have accordingly made this my standard in the following table, wherein I have reduced the Tariff to English weights and monies. I prefer this to taking the market price of the dollar, whether Mexican or Spanish, new or pillar, and using the multiplier 1,204, because I consider that the term "syees” means "perfectly pure." This word I believe to be originally Chinese, although the characters used by the Chinese to express it do not indicate its proper etymology. I have no doubt that it was originally, in the orthoepy of Morrison, "tsuh sih," or "full quality;" but the characters commonly used for it mean "fine silk," expressive of what minoralogists would call it's "lustre sating."*
I cannot conclude without suggesting that, at the present low price of copper, 1000 tona, costing 70,000Z. or 80,0007., might advantageously be coined into Chinese cash, weighing each a 1-3 gra. This would greatly relieve the distress of the neighbourhood of Swansea, and supply Hong Kong and the Chinese with a good currency during the present and the next generation; for, if neatly executed, it would be universally coveted and hearded up in abundance, and would be a good payment for tea, instead of opium. On one side of the coin I would have the words "Victoria Regina," and on the other, as usual, “perforated token," with "Iong Kong" instead of the Emperor's name.
Bristol, Oct. 14.
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
SAM. ROOTSEY.
3. Arsenic, ditto
4. Banglos (or glass armlets), ditto
5. Bamboo screens, and bamboo wares of all kinds, do. 0 6. Brass leaf, ditto..
9. Camphor, ditto......
10. Canea of all kinds, per 1,000
11. Capoor cutchery, per cwt.
12. Cassia, ditto
Ditto buds, ditto Ditto oil, ditto
13. China root, ditto
14. China ware, all kinds, ditto
15. Clothes, ready made, ditto
16. Copper ware, pewter, ditto, &c., ditto
17. Curals, or false coral, ditto.....
10. Cubebs, ditto.....
20. Fans (as feather fans, &c.), ditto
24. Glass, and glass ware of all kinds, ditto 25. Glass beads, ditto
26. Gine (as fish glue, &c.), ditto
350
EXPORTS.
1. Alum, per cwt.
2. Aniseed star, ditto
Ditto, oil of, ditto..
d.
0
2
1 5 28
Cotton Manufactures, continued-
Grey, or unbleached, cottona-viz., long-cloths, domestics, &c., 30 to 40 yards long, 26 to 40 inches wide, ditto
£ 3. d
0 0 74
0 3 91
0 2 67
Grey twilled cottons, 30 to 40 yards long, 28 to
40 inches wide, ditto.....
0 0 71
10
Chintz and prints, of all kinds, 20 to 30 yards
7 64
7. Building materiala, ditto.
8. Bone and horn ware, ditto
duty free.
long, 26 to 31 inches wide, ditto ......
0 1 24 Handkerchiefs under 1 yard square, 72 ea....... 0 0 03
0 5 0
7 63
03 0
2 1 10
0 3 94
0 à 01
i
5
24
0 1 0
0 2 64
Handkerchiefs above 1 yard square, 1.03 ditto... ( Ginghams, pullicates, dyed cottons, velveteens, silk and cotton mixtures, woollen and cotton mixtures, and all kinds of fancy goods, not in current consumption, 5 per cent. ad valorem. 14. Cotton yarn and cotton thread, per cwt. Jo. Cow bezoar, per lb......
16. Cutch, per cwt..
17. Elephants' teeth, Ist quality, whole, ditto
0
0 1 64
0
S
5 O
I 0 2
0 2 52
2d quality, ditto, broken
0 10 1
0 2 61
18. Fish maws, ditto
0 7 6
0 2 64
19. Flinta, ditto
0 0 3
18. Crackers and fire-works of all kinds, ditte....
す
3 91
20. Glass, glass ware, and crystal ware of all kinds, 5
0
7 63
per cent. ad valorem.
Ռ
5 0
21. Gambier, per cwt....
D 0 9
21. Furniture of all kinds, ditto
22. Galingal, ditto.......
23. Gamboge, ditto
0
10
22. Ginseng, 1st quality, ditto
9 11 7
0 0
2d ditto, "or refuse, ditto
0 17 7#
0 10 1
23. Gold and Silver Thread :-
0 2 G
1st quality, or real, per lb..
0 0 73
0 2 64
2d ditto, or imitation, ditto
0 0 13
0 2 61
24. Gums, Benjamin, per cwt
0 5 03
0 5 0%
0 2 63
Olibanum Myrrh
ditto ditto
0 2 6
5 21
0
2 61
0 5 0
6. Horus, Unicorus' or Rhinoceros', ditto
32. Lead (white lead), ditto
0
13
Gums unenumerated 10 per cent. ad valorem. 25. Horns, Buttocks and Buffaloes', per ewt...
27. Linen, tine, us Irish or Scoteb,
yards long,
0 2 63
inches wide, per piece
1 0 10 0:15 1
0 3 0
0 1 0
↓
1
0
Coarse Linen, as linen and cotton mixtures, silk and linen mixtures, &o., 5 per cent, ad valorem,
0 5 03
0 2 6
28. Mace, or four of nutmeg, per ewt.....**** 29. Mother of Pearl shells
hitte......
0 5 04 0 I 0
38. Nankeen and cotton cloth of all kinds, per ewi
0 5 0
30. Metals, viz.,
0 0 74
Rice paper pictures, per 100
0 0 74
40. Paper fans, per cwt.
0 2 64
Cupper, unmanufactured, as in pige, ditto.......................... 0 Ė 4 Ditto, manufactured, as in sheets, rods, ditto... 0764 Iron, unmanufactured, as in pigs, ditto
0 0 6
41. Paper of all kinds, ditto
{ 2 64
Ditto, manufactured, as in bars, rods, &c., ditto 0 0 9
42. Pearls (i. e., false pearls), ditto
0 2 64
Lead in pigs, or manufactured, ditto
0 2 04
0
2 6)
Quicksilver, ditto
0 15 JA
0
Steel, unmanufactured, ditto
0 201
0 5 01
Tin, ditto.....
0 5 01
Tin Plates, ditto.......
0
2 0
2 10 44
0 12
74
31. Nutmegs, ist quality, or cleaned, per cwt.
Organzine, all kinds, ditto..
Ribands, thread, &c., ditto..
2 10 44
Unenumerated Metals, 10 per cent. ad valorem.
2d ditto, or uncleaved ditto
0 10
}
0 5 0
2 10 44
32. Pepper, ditto.....
0 2 04
33. Putehuck, ditto
0 3 93
34. Battans, ditto
0 1 0
35, Rice, paddy, and grain of all kinds..........
duty free.
36. Rose maloes, per cwt. ......
37. Saltpetre (to be sold to Government agents only)
per dilto
38. Sharks' fius, first quality, or white, per ditto...... 05.04
second quality, or black per ditto...... 0 2 61
0 5 03
0 1 01
27. Grass cloths (all kinds), ditto 26. Hartall, ditto
29. Ivory ware (all kinds), ditto
30. Kittysole, or paper umbrellas, ditto
31. Lackered ware, all kinds, ditto
33. Lead (real lead), ditto..
31. Marble slabs, ditto...
35. Mats (straw, rattan, bambon, &c.), ditto
36. Mother-o'-pearl ware, ditto
37. Musk, per Îb.'..
39. Pictures-viz., large paintings, each
43. Preserves and sweatmeats of all kinds, ditto
44. Rattan work of all kinds, ditto
45. Rhubarb, ditto
46. Silk, raw, whether from Chekiang, Canton, or
elsewhere, all kinds, per ewt..
Coarse or refuse silk, ditto..
Silk piece goods of all kinds, as silks, satins, pon-
gees, velveta, crapes, lustrings, &c., ditto..... 80 53 N.B. The additional duty of so much per piece,
hitherto levied, to be henceforth abolished.
47. Silk and cotton mixtures, silk and woollen mixtures,
and goods of such classes, ditto...
48. Shoes and boots of leather, satin, or otherwise, ditto 0 49. Sandal-wood ware, ditto....... 50. Soy, ditto...
51. Silver and gold ware, ditto....
52. Sugar, white and brown, ditto.....
53. Sugar caudy, all kinds, ditto...
54. Tin-foll, ditto..
55. Tea, ditto.....
56. Tobacco of all kinds, ditto,
57. Turmeric, ditto....
58. Tortoiseshell ware, ditto....
59. Trunks (of leather), ditto...
60. Treasure, i. e., coins of all kinds...
6J. Vermillion, per ewt.
0 1 0
free.
Articles unenumerated in this tariff to pay a duty of 5 per cent. ad valorem.
IMPORTS.
1. Asafoetida, per cwt.
2. Rees' wax, ditto......
3. Betel nut, ditto..
4. Bicho de mar, 1st quality, or black ditto
Ditto
0 % 1)
0
0 101
0 0 104
0 0
D
0 0 103
Tiger, leopard, and marten sking, each
Land otter, racoon, and sharlis' skins, per hund. 0 12 0
Beaver skins, ditto.....
Ebony, ditto...
0 15 13
0
0 5 04
0 2 01
39. Skins and furs, viz.
2 10 43
Cow and ox hides, tanned and untanned..........
0 1 3
Sea otter skin, each
0 1 91
Fox skins, large, each....
0 2 61
Ditto, small, each.
0 12 7
0 1
0
110
0
0 1
4
2 10 44
Hare, rabbit, and ermine ditto.
0 3 0
40. Smalts, per cwt.......
1 0 2
41. Soap, ditto
0 2 61
0 15 11
42. Stock-fish, &c. ........
0 2 01
13. Sea horse teeth
0 30 1
44. Treasure and money of all kinds, free.
£ 8. d.
45. Wine, beer, spirits, &c.:-
0 5 04
In quart bottles, per hundred bottles
0 6 l
0 5 04
la pint ditto, ditto......
0
3
0
0 0 0
In casks, per cwt.
0 2 6
0 4 01
46. Woods, namely-
◊
0 9
0
0
1st ditto, cleaned ditto....
Sandal wood, ditto
0 2 6
24 ditto, good middling ditto
0 12 7
Japan wood, ditto.........
0 0 6
0 2 6
Inenumerated woods, 10 per cent, ad valorem.
0 5 08
47. Woollen manufactures-viz., broadcloths, Spanish
0 2 61
0 7 63
stripes, babit cloth, &c., 51 @ 64 inches wide, per square foot...
0 0 17
0 2 64
Long ella, kersermeres, flannel, and narrow cloths
of this description, ditto
0 0 54
Blankets, of all kinds, each.
0 0 74
Dutch camlets, per square foot....
0 0 11
Camlets, ditto........
0 0 54
0 3 0
Imitation ditto bombazettes, &c., ditto
0 0 2
152
Bunting (narrow) ditto.
01
34
0 3 0
2 10
0 2
01
Unenumerated woollen goods, or silk and woollen, and cotton and woollen mixtures, &c., 5 per cent. ad nalorem.
48. Woollen yarn, per cwt...........
0 16 1
N.B. All articles unenumerated in this tariff 5
Cambrics and muslins, 20 to 24 yards long, 40 to
46 ditta ......
0 0 104
per cent. ad valorem,
0 0 10
5. Birds' nests
Ditto Ditto
2d ditto, white ...........................
3d ditto, uneleaned, ditto
6. Camphor (Malay), 1st ditto, clean, per lb.
Ditto
24 ditto, refuse ditto, per in.
7. Cloves, Tat ditto, picked per ewt........
Ditto, 2d dirto, mother ditto..........
8. Clocks, watches, spy-glasses, all kinds of writing- desks, dressing-boxes, cutlery, perfumery, &c., 5 per cent. ad valorem.
9. Canvasɛ, 30 to 40 yards long, 24 to 31 inches wide,
per plece
10. Cochineal, per cwt
11. Cornelians, per 100 stones.
Ditto beads, per cwt
12. Cotton ditto......
13. Cotton manufactures-viz.
Long-cloths, white, 30 to 40 yards long. 30 to 36
inches wide, per piece......
1 5 2)
* We have something like this at home. There is a place in Wales called Llanseashore, bat which is not upon the sea shore. This name Stor or Shore is the old British name of George, or Saint George, and exists also In the English word Wyndeshore, or Windsor, which I shouli Latinise "Venta Georgii," from the round table, castle, and chapel of St. George.
GUTCH AND MARTIN, PRINTERS, SMALL-STREST, BRISTOL,